Egyptian tycoon pleads innocent

Egyptian tycoon pleads innocent in singer murder

By MAGGIE MICHAEL, By Associated Press Writer Maggie Michael, By Associated Press Writer – Sat Oct 18, 10:39 am ET

CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian tycoon and an associate pleaded not guilty Saturday to charges they orchestrated the gruesome murder of a Lebanese pop star in a case that has transfixed the Middle East.

Egyptian real estate mogul and lawmaker Hisham Talaat Moustafa and hotel worker Mohsen el-Sukkary are charged with murder in the death of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim. She was found stabbed to death in her apartment in Dubai in July.

Moustafa is accused of ordering the killing and el-Sukkary is accused of carrying it out.

Dressed in white track suits, both sat inside a defendant's cage before a packed courtroom Saturday, as the prosecutor read the charges.

"It didn't happen. I presented all evidence to prove that it didn't. I ask for God's protection for he is my best advocate," Moustafa told the judge.

nside the cage, the two men were separated from each other by a partition and plainclothes policemen to prevent any scuffles as each is expected to blame the other for the killing.

"I didn't kill Suzanne. I didn't do it," el-Sukkary said from behind the bars.

The prosecution then admitted into evidence Tamim's white trousers, a Swiss army knife, fingerprint report, DNA tests, security camera tapes and transcripts of phone conversations between the two men allegedly about the murder.

Lawyers for Moustafa, who had to be stripped of his parliamentary immunity before he could be arrested, asked that he be released on bail, but the judge refused.

The prosecution is expected to present a dozen witnesses, including policemen from the United Arab Emirates, where Tamim was killed.

Security was tight outside the Cairo courtroom with dozens of riot police surrounding the area, often scuffling with mobs of journalists covering the trial.

Tamim's slaying caught millions of Egyptians and Arabs across the region by surprise, not only because of the billionaire real estate mogul's alleged involvement, but also because police arrested him — someone so powerful as to be considered above the law.

When Moustafa's name first appeared in the media in connection with the murder, the government promptly banned press reports about the case.

Moustafa, who is close to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, owns luxury hotels and beach resorts and is a leading force in developing the Western-style suburbs ringing Cairo.

The 30-year-old singer, famed for her striking green eyes, was found dead in her Dubai apartment in July, with multiple stab wounds and a 8 inch slash across her throat.

Prosecutors allege the tycoon paid el-Sukkary, a former Egyptian State Security officer who worked at one of Moustafa's hotels, $2 million to kill the singer.

Tamim, who rose to stardom in the late 1990s but then hit troubled times, had moved to Dubai to break off her relationship with Moustafa, who is married, friends say.

According to Dubai investigators, el-Sukkary followed the singer to her home in the swanky Dubai Marina complex on the morning of July 28 and used a building management company ID to gain access to her apartment.

Police later found bloody clothes they say belong to el-Sukkary dumped outside the building. They also say the killer's face appears on security camera footage.

The trial was adjourned until Nov. 15.